Marcellus Wiley, a former NFL Pro Bowler and sportscaster, was taken into custody on Saturday by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida and faces charges of domestic assault, based on court records reviewed.
At 51 years old, Wiley is known for his work as a sports broadcaster at ESPN and Fox Sports, as well as hosting his own podcast. He remains in custody without bail.
Details surrounding the circumstances of his arrest have not been disclosed.
A May Rolling Stone article highlighted that Wiley has recently been accused of sexual assault by four women, adding that three others previously alleged rape incidents from his time at Columbia University.
Wiley, married to Annemarie Wylie, a star on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” has denied the latest allegations on his podcast, claiming to possess evidence that challenges the credibility of these claims. He has previously dismissed the earlier allegations as “BS.”
According to filings from April, two of the women stated that Wiley assaulted them between 1995 and 1999, as reported by Rolling Stone.
Another accusation detailed that Wiley allegedly groomed a girl from when she was 13. As a player for the Bills, he reportedly took her to Dallas on a plane and assaulted her when she turned 18.
One of the victims recounted, “Marcellus Wiley raped me on my 18th birthday after grooming me since I was 13,” adding that after visiting his home, he referred to her as “little mama.” She expressed her belief that if Columbia had adequately addressed the claims, the situation might have been different.
A fourth woman, who worked as a production assistant at ESPN, claimed she was assaulted by Wiley in 2009 under the false pretense of a work meeting in his hotel room.
According to her court statement, “The assault was devastating for me, and I will live with the effects of it to this day.”
The Buffalo Bills drafted Wiley in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. After four years with the Bills, he played for the Chargers, Cowboys, and Jaguars. He was selected for his only Pro Bowl in 2001 during his time in San Diego, and he transitioned to broadcasting, working for ESPN until 2018 and for Fox Sports until 2022.
